Longitudinal road joint support



Nov. 28, 1950 E. J. WEBB LONGITUDINAL ROAD JOINT SUPPORT Filed Oct.

IN VEN TOR. EL M511 JLW'E E E flnw 6 wo ATTEE EY s Patented Nov. 28, 1950 UNITED STATS LGNGETUDINAL ROAD MHNT SUPPQRT Elmer J. Webb, Newark, N. Y. Application Gctober 2, 1947, sriai'rto. "177,485

1 Claim. (Cl. 948) This invention relates to supporting structures for joints in concrete highway-construction, and more particularly to 'a supporting structure 'for the longitudinal joints between slabs in adjacent strips of concrete.

In highway construction, the sub-grade is properly prepared and a pair of side forms are mounted on the sub-grade and the concrete is poured between these forms. The poured portion constituting a strip of concrete. The road is made up of two or more of these strips. At spaced intervals along each strip, expansion joints are provided whereby the strips are formed of a plurality of separated concrete slabs. After one strip has been poured, the side forms are removed and one form is relaid to form the outer side of the next adjacent strip. The laid strip constituting the form for the opposite side of the second strip.

This invention has to do with a supporting structure for adequately tying the slabs of adjacent strips together and whereby they will be properly supported so that one strip will not sag, or separate, relative to the adjacent strip. These supporting structures are placed at uniform interval along the joint between the strips.

The invention has as an object a joint support for longitudinal road joints embodying a structure by which the joints are economically manufactured and conveniently and quickly put in place previous to the pouring of the first strip,

and whereby free portions of the joint support may be conveniently swung outwardly from the poured stripfor embedment in the adjacent strip.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a top plan view of a joint support structure embodying my invention showing a contiguous portion of the slab side form.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the structure shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an end elevational view of the structure shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional view of slabs constituting adjacent strips and illustrating the final arrangement of the joint support.

Figure 5 is a view taken on line 55, Figure 1.

Figure 6 is an elevational view of the protective envelope.

The joint support is formed from a one piece integral metallic rodlike member which is bent at its medial portion to form a base portion It! adapted to be positioned on the road sub-grade H. This base portion i0 is V shaped in general form, with the apex positioned in spaced relation to the side form [2, and with the legs of the V formation extending inwardly from the form.

The rod is bent to formintermediate portions l3, these being connected to the base- H} by up: wardly extending portions l4, whereby the intermediate portions are positionedsubstantially medial of the thickness of the slab H5. The intermediate portions i3 extend to the inner surface of the form l2, the rod being bent to form end or free portions ll extending along the inner surface of the form l2 in opposite directions and preferably, the end portions I! are bent to form downwardly extending portions l8 resting upon the sub-grade.

As illustrated in the drawings, the intermediate or embedded portions 53 extend substantially perpendicular to the form I2 and the base portion Ii) is secured to the sub-grade, as by a, stake 2%. With this arrangement, the supporting structure is adequately maintained in proper position while the concrete strip, or slab, is being poured.

After the slabs of the first strip are poured and set, the forms H are removed and the end or free portions ll are swung outwardly from the slab I5, so that they substantially form a continuation of the intermediate embedded portions l3. As the slabs 22 of the second strip are poured, this free portion ll becomes embedded in the slabs of the adjacent strip, as illustrated in Figure 4.

In order that the free portions l1, together with the depending ends [8, may be conveniently swung out of the poured slab I5, these end portions are surrounded by a sleeve, or en velope, of coated paper, or the like 23, to prevent the poured concrete from adhering to that portion of the support. This envelope may be formed by folding a piece of paper, or the like, along its medial line and securing the folded portions together at their ends as by staples 24. These envelopes are perforated as at 25 from the lower edge upwardly and terminating in a U shaped incision 26. After the supporting member has been placed in position, the envelope is separated along the perforation 25 and placed over the free portion ll of the member, the incision 26 forming a tab 21 overlying the intermediate portions [3.

These integral one piece supports are economically manufactured from rod. stock by a simple bending operation and, because of their novel shape, are easy and convenient to handle and mount on the sub-grade and, in the finished road they form an effective support'between the adjacent strips.

The support member structurelherein described does not require any special shape or formation of the side form l2, or the provision of apertures therein. Also, a foreman or inspector on the construction work can quickly determine if the supporting members are in proper arrangement for the construction of the second strip of road. If the free portions I! are swung outwardly after the completion of the first strip, means is thereby provided for accurately supporting the second strip.

In other supporting member structures heretofore used, it was not possible to determine whether such structures were accurately arranged without detailed inspeotion of each supporting member separately.

What I claim is:

A longitudinal rod joint supporting member for supporting adjacent concrete slabs comprising an integral rodlike member formed with a V shaped base portion, upright portions extending upwardly from each end of the base and merging with intermediate portions extending horizontally in parallel spaced apart relation from said uprights to the inner surface of the slab side form, said base portionbeing adapted to be staked on the road sub-grade with the apex of the base positioned intermediate said uprights and the side form, said member having free portions extending in opposite directions along the inner surface of the form and terminating in depending ends resting on the subgrade, said free portions being encased in an envelope of frangible material and being adapted to be swung outwardly upon removal of the side form-tin embedment in the next adjacent slab.

ELME-R J. WEBB.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,905,023 White Apr. 25, 1933 1,987,392 Dill Jan. 8, 1935 2,993,597 scholer Sept. 21, 1937 2,096,2 5 McCrady, Jr. Oct. 19, 1937 2,262,677 Heltzel Nov. 11, 1941 

